A bad new film weekend?
If you’re looking for a movie tip for this weekend, it looks like you ought to check out something old rather than something new.
Reviews were not available for three of the five films bowing this weekend in the Herald & Review’s circulation. This is never a good sign. Film distributors often hold back films from review, hoping to sneak at least one relatively respectable weekend of box office fortune before word of mouth reveals exactly why the films weren’t allowed to be reviewed.
This week, that effort is hampered a bit by the fact that these genre spoof films have been so miserable. There’s no reason to think “Disaster Movie” will be any less silly or any more funny than “Meet the Spartans,” “Epic Movie” or “Scary Movie.”
Ads certainly assist the other two films that weren’t removed. “Babylon A.D.” looks cool – I appreciate it when action films look like they’re at least trying to do something different. But director Mathieu Kassovitz is blabbing to everyone he can find that he delivered the movie Fox wanted, and he hates it. (I’m actually surprised he didn’t call or e-mail the Herald & Review, given the number of outlets with stories about his dissatisfaction.) Expect people to stay away in droves.
I’ve been fascinated to see the ads for “College,” which refer to and attempt to bask in “Animal House,” “Revenge of the Nerds” and “American Pie.” (I thought maybe the same company put out all four films, but “College” is from MGM. “Animal House” and “American Pie” were Universal, and “Revenge of the Nerds” is from Fox.)
It looks dopey, but I often remind myself of the flatulent birds in the “Finding Nemo” trailer and how unamusing that was.
But most online indicators say this might be a weekend better spent outside, or watching “The Dark Knight,” “Mamma Mia!” or “Tropic Thunder” again.